A Dragon Among Falcons
by Hero Protagonist
Summary: (INDEFINITE HIATUIS/Up for adoption)In a strange turn of events, Ryu Hayabusa finds himself in the world of Remnant and begins to learn about his new surroundings. With the Dark Dragon Blade destroyed, he looks for the source of a new evil while meeting others along the way. Takes places after the events of Ninja Gaiden (Ninja Gaiden Sigma) and contains RWBY Volume 4 spoilers.
1. Remnant

**Chapter 1: Remnant**

A/N: I do not own anything, content in this story belongs to Co- errr I mean RoosterTeeth and Team Ninja respectfully.

EDIT: So, a few hours after I released this chapter a reader pointed out something very important in a review. If you're reading this chapter even a day after it was released, then don't worry about it. Read on.

If for some reason you came back to this chapter after reading it on the first day, I changed a part to better represent Ryu as a ninja. I won't say what part so I don't spoil anything in this chapter for new readers, you'll just have to reread the whole thing for yourself. You DON'T HAVE to reread it though, the same things happened, just in a different way.

 **Ryu's POV**

The setting sun blazed across the horizon painting the sky various shades of purple and orange. I almost feel the warmth from the radiant sphere in the sky as I stand over the source of the destruction around me. The Dark Dragon Blade was the reason my village was destroyed, the reason so many innocents lie dead in the streets near their homes. Now it was about to be all over, its wielder sat at the bottom of a fiery pit, slain.

I wedge the tip of my boot under the dark immaculate weapon that laid on the ground before me, kicking it up into the air I smashed it into multiple fragments with my own blade. The True Dragon Sword was the only weapon capable of defeating the Dark Dragon Blade's immense power. This blade had seen me through multiple encounters with the manifestations of evil itself, and now it was finally time to return it to its resting place. My village would be rebuilt, and so would the blade's altar. It was my job as the last of the dragon lineage to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. I had failed to protect the Dark Dragon Blade, but I would not fail again.

My inner musings and realization that my long journey had finally come to an end made me blind to my new surroundings. When I finally brought my attention back to what was directly in front of my eyes, I realized I was no longer in the previous desolate landscape. I was now in a place full of life, with Mother Nature at the forefront of its design. Tall trees surrounded the circular clearing I stood in which was full of lush green grass. Part of me wanted to sit down and just take it all in, while the other tried to assess what just happened.

Unfortunately, neither side got its way as my senses went on full alert at the sound of a branch snapping somewhere behind me. My grip immediately tensed around the hilt of the blade that I still held in my right hand. It seemed my journey wasn't over, not just yet.

The world stood still for a brief moment before a large creature barreled through the trees behind me and into the once peaceful clearing. Its form reminded me of a scorpion with its large golden stinger looming menacingly above its head. Multiple red eyes attempted to bore right through me, but my whole life up until this point had been preparation to survive. It would take a lot more than an oversized scorpion to remind me what it was like to feel fear.

We examined each other for what felt like hours, my eyes quickly scanned the nooks and crannies of its bone-like exoskeleton. I followed the path of each red marking I saw, and carefully pinpointed each crack in its shell. The dull gray its carapace took on made it look ancient, but each stroke of red made it look so alive.

Its mandibles clicked in anticipation as it began to dash toward me, tired of waiting for its prey to make the first move. Thinking I was its next meal was its first mistake and I instantly sheathed my sword before turning and running across the open grassy area. Not knowing what this beast was capable of meant I had to engage it on my own terms. I'd make my own windows of opportunity and the first one was coming right up as I neared the edge of the clearing and began running up a tree.

The monster that was in pursuit didn't seem to appreciate my tactic and slammed one of its large claws into the bark of the tree, easily cleaving right through it. By the time the tree began to fall over, I had already jumped off of the top and was soaring through the air. All the thing below could do is wait for me to land. If only it were so lucky.

In a flash I had yanked the three kunai that rested on my left leg and had thrown them with deadly precision at the creature. The three large eyes on the left side of its head exploded violently as my sharp projectiles found purchase within the soft organs. Screeches of pain erupted from its mandibles, the loud noise would probably be heard for miles, a tactic to freeze a normal fighter in fear.

Unfortunately for the scorpion, I was far from normal and before I had landed behind it, the three remaining kunai on my right leg had embedded themselves in the eyes on its right side. With any semblance of its peripheral vision gone, the creature would now have to turn completely around to see me. As if right on cue, I heard its legs begin moving as it tried to spin around to face me. I almost felt bad for what I was about to do, and I pulled my blade from its sheath on my back.

Another screech ricocheted throughout the forest as I severed all four of its left legs from its body. Black mist oozed out of the monsters wounds as it laid stationary. I was curious as to what it was, but I'd have plenty of time to study the biology of these things later on. Without support from the left side of its body, the creature could do nothing but humiliatingly fall over on its side. Realizing it was at the mercy of its prey, the monster desperately swiped at the air.

Headstrong opponents were always easy to defeat, use your brain even a little bit and you were already miles ahead.

Sheathing my blade and focusing my ki, I quickly create small circles with my arms in the air in front of me before bringing them to my chest and with one palm over the other, every finger but my index and thumb were curled.. My efforts were rewarded when three large fireballs spawn around me and begin orbiting my body. I can't help but smile when I see my ninpo still works and I slowly advance toward the helpless monster.

My senses were still on alert and I postured my swordhand accordingly just in case the large scorpion had one final trick up its sleeve. Luckily it didn't, and the fireballs around me came in contact with its body from below to avoid its protective shell. The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils as the creature caught on fire. Its screams of agony were cut short when it's whole body exploded into a black mist before promptly disappearing.

While retrieving the kunais that the mist left behind, I noticed my breathing was still at the normal rate I had disciplined myself to follow. Taking in this information, I sat down to meditate on my new situation. A creature of that size couldn't force me to quicken my breaths, my previous fights with fiends served me well as training exercises.

Closing my eyes, I felt the soft wind flow past me. It barely even registering me as an obstacle, and it allowed me to listen to its whispers as it traveled in the direction of its destination.

"I don't know why you're here," stated a voice that sounded like it belonged to a woman. "But I hope it isn't to cause more tragedy. I can feel the immense power radiating off of you, and it isn't dark. Unlike hers. Only time will tell what you are."

My eyes shot open and I took in my surroundings once more. It was dark now, the shattered moon above made its presence known by bathing the landscape in its glorious light. It washed over my black leather suit and gleamed off of the surface of my kunais.

The world around me seemed at peace once more, and I took the opportunity to check inventory. I still felt the weight of my favored weaponry on my body which made me breathe a sigh of relief. My skill with hand-to-hand combat and the True Dragon Sword would probably be enough, but having other options was very useful.

My nunchaku sat on the right side of my hip, and a bow and quiver rested on my back over the sheath for my Dragon Sword and a wooden sword. Part of me wished I had my Vigorian Flail as well, but too much weaponry would also slow me down. I'd make do with this, my kunai, and the various ninpo techniques I had memorized.

Exploring by night definitely wasn't ideal, but the various sets of eyes that I felt focused on me told me staying wasn't a good idea either. Focusing my ki once more I spread my arms apart at shoulder height as if they were wings. I open and close my hands into fists before swiftly moving one arm to my chest, still in a fist, and the other in front of my eyes with my index and middle fingers pointing skyward. I feel the thin aura of my soul begin to envelop me before I do a quick spin to complete my transformation.

Switching forms always felt jarring no matter how many times I've done it. You can never get used to the feeling of your spirit leaving your body and taking flight. Now in the form of a falcon, my wings cut through the placid night air as I searched for any sign of civilization. The thick canopy of trees seemed to go on forever, but my trained eyes soon found a dirt path to follow. I also found many creatures below the foliage, but none seemed to be the wiser while I passed over.

I began to question if civilization was possible with so many of these monsters around, but I was reminded that the world kept on turning even when fiends made their presence known back home. I also had heard a woman's voice when I sat down to meditate, it had to have come from somewhere.

My doubts were cast aside when I found a simple sign of man's existence. A wooden fence began to border the narrow path that I was following and a few minutes later I was greeted with the sight of buildings. Warm light emitted from a few of the homes while others were pitch black, it didn't take long for me to find a sign that simply said, "Inn".

Picking an area to land in that was more or less hidden from the few still awake, I felt my spirit begin to unravel itself. I swayed slightly as my black boots made contact with the ground below me before focusing my vision on one area of the ground. In a second or two, my body had adjusted to the sudden transformation and I headed toward the inn.

Stone pathways kept each building connected to each other, but they were all empty at this time of night. I couldn't tell exactly what time it was, but I had to guess that it was about midnight. I wondered if people not being out this late was simply because of the standard traditional of sleep at night, or because those dark creatures appeared more often. The scorpion seemed perfectly okay with attacking me in broad daylight, but when I had sat down to meditate nothing else had bothered me.

Even though no one was outside, I took great caution as I navigated the small village. The buildings themselves were very minimalistic, all of them having cream colored walls, wooden crossbeams, and shingle rooftops. They were well put together which was quite fortunate for me because it made sneaking across rooftops even easier as I headed for my destination. The moonlight was the only thing that had a ghost of a chance of revealing me, but I was used to its presence, shattered or not, it was the same.

I kneeled down on the roof of the inn for a moment while I looked for any easy access points. The inn itself was two stories high and was much wider than most of the houses. I'd estimate about four houses pushed together would fill the area of the large establishment. Back to the task at hand, my effort in looking for an entrance was instantly rewarded by the sight of a window on the second story that was left ajar. I silently moved above it before peering downward over the side of the roof and into the dark room. My trained eyes found nothing except for a quaint room with a bed, a nightstand, and a desk with a mirror.

Content with what I saw, I grabbed onto the top of the window from the inside before letting myself gently swing off of the roof and into the room. As soon as my boots touched the floor, I let go of the window and headed for the door before cautiously opening it and looking around. The hall had multiple doors that lead to different rooms, and was dimly lit by the occasional lantern. I directed my attention to the ceiling where I saw some exposed crossbeams that confirmed some of my inner suspicions about the construction of these buildings.

Structures built in this way weren't necessary for me to be able to sneak around comfortably, but they definitely made the job easier. Taking mental notes of the layout, I closed the door behind me before heading toward a set of stairs that lead downward. I pressed my back against the wall and slowly sidestepped until I was at the end of the hall and could hear the soft murmurs of voices. Stealing a glance around the protective barrier made me immediately yank my head away as I realized that the wall was not only thinner than I thought, but it was also the only barrier besides height that blocked me from the vision of the patrons below. The front portion of the inn was somewhat like a tavern with a counter for the innkeeper and four tables in front of it. My ability to memories things with the quickest of glances told me that I had seen two kegs behind the counter along with a shelf that I could only see the top of.

The ceiling of the front portion of the building was elevated to the second story, so that meant that I could just get on top of the crossbeams from the second story and sneak around directly above them. I did just that. Once again, design like this was something that wasn't necessary for a ninja, but very appreciated. The people that designed this building definitely weren't concerned with people sneaking around above them.

Comfortably above the patrons inhabiting the establishment, I listened for any kind of conversation that could give me some sort of clue as to where I was. Each table below had a lamp lit in the middle to make sure there was adequate enough light, and I saw no real form of electricity. I found this somewhat comforting since my own village rarely used that energy source. Things seemed so much nicer without it. However, that didn't seem to be the case considering all the monsters that probably sat outside of this village's borders. Not to mention almost every patron here was armed, with some a bit more well equipped than others.

I noticed a few people below toss a glance my way every now and again, but with the lack of lighting up here they wouldn't have been able to see me. Even so, I wouldn't let overconfidence be my downfall, and I would move any time they seemed to feel my presence. The information I had gotten so far from the conversations below was minimal at best. Most of the talking was simply them going about their day and how their families were doing. I had heard something about something called the Grimm and how it was getting worse, but without context I couldn't link it to anything.

I hadn't been up there for five minutes before a man at the front counter yelled in an inebriated state for all to hear, "Come on Mia! Just one night!"

A blonde haired woman stood on the other side of the counter, and her sheer lack of comfort was visible in her blue eyes. Despite that, she wore a soft smile, but anyone could see through that facade. She shook her head and said sorry, but the drunk man wasn't taking no for an answer. The man in question seemed to feel a bit confident and reached over the counter and grabbed the woman's arm, she winced slightly but made no complaint. A second later my grip was firmly around the man's wrist, and the woman named Mia screamed at my sudden appearance as I dropped down from the roof.

I could hear every available weapon in the room be drawn as chairs were knocked over by how quickly people stood up. All eyes were on me, a feeling I was not fond of, but it couldn't be helped. I wasn't about to let this woman come to harm while others unknowingly or willingly let it happen. I could feel everyone in the room look me over from head to toe, sizing me up. I didn't mind though, I was doing the exact same thing to them except I was being discreet about it. There were six of them including the drunk man. I could take them, but if I wanted to avoid things getting messy, there was always the window upstairs that I could escape through.

I brought my attention back to the man whose wrist I was holding. Compared to the others in the room, there was nothing particularly malevolent about him. In fact, he seemed almost… desperate. Desperation could be dangerous, but there was always something so sad about it.

The air was still as he tried to engage in a staring contest with me. Seeing that this was going nowhere I yanked his arm off of the woman before letting go, causing him to fall back slightly on his stool. His eyes never wavered from me as he stood up and seemed to growl at me. I was about four inches taller than he was and a bit more built, but it seemed he didn't mind or just didn't see these differences. His brown eyes continued to try to burn holes right through me before he finally was lifted off of the floor by someone else.

The person who picked up the drunk patron was quite burly. He wore a dirty white shirt under a dark red vest and what looked like a large brown apron that covered his torso. His skin was a light chocolate color, and his well kept black hair connected to his mustache and beard. The one thing, or two things rather, that stuck out to me were the horns on his head. No one else in the room had horns and it made me wonder if he was a person of importance. A leader perhaps.

"Come on Adon, I think you've had enough to drink tonight." His gruff voice said as he carried the man out.

The woman behind the counter just stared blankly at me as I took the now empty seat. She probably had questions, questions I wouldn't answer. Questions that asked me how I got inside, or what I intended to do. Right now, I wanted something to eat, I could sidestep anything she asked later.

"My apologies for scaring you," I heard myself say before I pushed down the lower part of the balaclava that I wore over my nose and mouth. The metal headpiece that I wore that bordered my eyes and had the design of a dragon on it was still pretty menacing, but I found that if people could see more of your face, they'd feel more comfortable around you. At this point, people had already seen I was here and things hadn't gone south. As soon as the drunk man was carried out, everyone had sat back down. They still tossed glances at me, but I paid them no mind.

"Does stuff like that happen often around here?" I ask trying to stir up conversation. If I wanted to learn about where I had woken up then I'd have to start from a small subject and progressively go bigger and bigger.

She shook her head, almost dumbfounded, before she replied, "No, not really. He lost his wife about a month ago to Grimm when they went out for a walk. People know it's dangerous out there, but everyone is pretty quick to put danger aside when nothing has happened to them yet." I nodded somberly in agreement with this before she continued, "Normally he is harmless, and he really only started hitting on me about a week ago when he started getting a bit too drunk. I still felt sorry for his loss so I just ignored his advances. Tonight is the first time he actually laid a hand on me. I'm sure I could've handled it myself, but I was just so shocked."

Most people that worked at a counter where they interacted with customers daily would pretend to forge some sort of connection with their patrons since it would usually provide more income, but there was nothing fake about the compassion this woman seemed to show. She truly cared about the well being of the person who had just gotten escorted out, and I'd wager if I stayed around long enough she'd care about me just as much.

"Anyway, what can I get you?" She asked in a cheerful tone, bringing me out of my thoughts. I was expecting some sort of question about how I appeared to be the first thing she said, but instead she asked me the only question I wanted to hear.

"Ramen?" I ask and she simply nodded before getting to work on making the bowl of noodles. At least there was something in common with this place and my own. Well, something else, I corrected myself. They spoke English here, a language used in a few other large parts of the globe. Maybe I was somewhere else on Earth. Then again, a part of the moon was shattered in the sky, something that wasn't the case on the planet so many called home.

A few minutes later a large bowl of ramen sat in front of me, but when I moved my hand down to my wallet to pay she simply waved the gesture away. "After helping me out, consider your Lien no good here. I'm sure my father would say the same if he was down here and saw what you did. Plus, we try to help out as many traveling huntsmen as we can."

I smile my thanks as I begin to slurp up the noodles in front of me. Behind my smile was the inner workings of my mind as I processed more new information. The first item of new information was her mention of something called, 'Grimm'. In her story about how Adon had lost his wife, she said that he had lost her to Grimm. Grimm seemed like a fitting name for the monsters I had seen as I flew here. Secondly, Lien seemed to be the currency here, so that meant my Yen was probably useless. That would be a setback if I didn't find money soon. The third thing I had learned was the term, 'huntsmen', and I was apparently one of them or I at least looked like one.

As I finish my meal I begin to attempt to ask some more questions, but I'm stopped abruptly by the sound of a loud chorus of screams. It was worse than the sound I had heard emit from the scorpion thing I slayed earlier and it definitely sounded human. Moments later the door to the inn slammed open with a wide eyed Adon walking through the frame two steps before falling over. Two arrows were deeply embedded into his back sending a clear sign to everyone in the room.

The four armed men that sat at their tables immediately stood up and headed outside brandishing their weapons. No less than ten seconds went by before one of those same men flew in through a window before instantly losing consciousness as he slammed into the far wall. The innkeeper screamed as the man's attacker vaulted in through the same window. He wore red and black armor with some sort of bloody white feather as an emblem. His hair was gray, he had a wicked grin, and multiple scars on his face. Brandishing a dual-sided battle ax he walked menacingly toward his kill.

I decided it was time to take action and I dashed toward the attacker so quickly that I left a ghostly afterimage behind. My hand found his throat and I slammed his body against the wall behind him causing him to stumble slightly. The grip on his weapon loosened slightly and I capitalized on it immediately by delivering a fierce wheel kick to his jaw. The blow had so much force behind it, it lifted him up off of the ground slightly. Not giving him a single second to recover I quickly spin and use the momentum of the turn to deliver a chop to his neck followed by one more spin before thrusting my palm upward into his chin. The second the bottom of my palm made contact, I saw a strange sheen of color appear around his body before disappearing, but I wouldn't allow myself to get distracted.

Thoroughly stunned, my enemy stood still for a little too long and by the time his senses returned to him, I robbed him of whatever life he had left. I crouched down low and covered my right fist with my palm before bringing it back behind me. As soon as his eyes had opened I let my right hand go and my left hand joined it. Opening both of my palms, my hand struck the bandit's solar plexus shattering any bone and killing him instantly. His limp body flew through the window he had come in through, and I instantly ran outside of the inn, slamming the door behind me.

Returning my balaclava to cover most of my face, my eyes were greeted with a sight I never wanted to see again. Hungry flames licked at any source of fuel as they consumed home after home around me. The feeling of helplessness I felt when my own village went up in flames was recreated, I was too late again despite being here from the beginning of the attack. I wanted to scream, emotional impulse was the first thing I learned to fight against when I began my ninja training, but this was too much. Scanning around, I saw four bandits looting the bodies of the three other men that had been sitting in the inn a few minutes earlier.

They would all pay.

The calm before the storm was over and I moved as swift as lightning toward them, unsheathing my sword as I went. The afterimages I left behind did little to distract my enemies but that didn't matter. I expertly disarmed two out of my four enemies. A spinning roundhouse kick sent a bladed lance harmlessly out of my first opponent's reach while a kick to the chest sent another bandit flying.

All of my blows made an audible sound when they made contact, instilling fear when defending from my relentless assault. I slashed at the disarmed lance wielder, but instead of cutting through his torso like butter, my blade simply knocked him into the second story of a building. When his body made contact with an outer wall, the same sheen I had seen on the earlier bandit appeared before quickly disappearing once more. Ignoring my three other opponents, I quickly moved to the injured bandit's side before skewering his heart. They must have some sort of shield around their body that I had to get rid of first before I could kill them.

My theory was correct, this time my blade sank into his flesh with ease and I yanked it up to block an oncoming strike from one of his comrades. Two bandits stood in front of me with their broadswords poised for their next strike with the one on my left being male and the other, female. It was clear that no amount of training could ever prepare them for the fight they had just began. I sent a front kick to the chest of the man directly challenging my blade causing him to take two steps back. The other swordsman took this opportunity to try and take a wild swing at me which I simply parried before sweeping her legs out from under her.

Separating them was my best bet if I wanted to fight with my blade, but this is where I was thankful for having other options. I tossed my sword aside before reaching for my nunchaku and flicking one of the metal handles upward just in time before being decapitated. The swordsman that I had sent back two steps had recovered and made the mistake of thinking I was vulnerable without my blade. The earsplitting crack he must've heard as the metal of my new weapon connected with his jaw told him otherwise. What goes up must come down, and the handle that I had sent upward came back down with enough force to knock my enemy unconscious when it connected with his skull.

His companion that I had sent to the ground earlier made an attempt to get up, but a kick to the side of her head sent her into an involuntary slumber. Three down, one more to go. The one I had sent flying with a kick earlier was the last one. He was now charging me and picked up the True Dragon Sword I had tossed away when I grabbed my nunchaku.

I made no move to defend myself from the killing blow that I knew would never reach me. The final bandit raised the blade over his head to strike me down before he simply crumpled over. I watched with curiosity as a white ghostly essence left his body and was absorbed by my weapon before I picked it up and put it back in its place on my back.

The True Dragon Sword was known to feed off of the souls of those who were not worthy to hold it. Being the last of the renowned dragon lineage safeguarded me from that side effect. I was not only worthy by blood, but the extensive training my father, Jo Hayabusa, had put me through also made me worthy.

Two dead and two unconscious, and however many people were left to ravage the village. The inn I protected received no damage apart from the shattered windows. I'd make sure it stayed that way.

I took it upon myself to be a swift bringer of justice, and for those that murdered the innocent, their sentence was death. That went double for those that had the gall to strike down others who could not defend themselves. I took no pride in killing the unconscious, but these people could not be allowed to live a moment longer. However, I felt it fitting to prepare them for what awaited them down in the depths of hell.

Striding over with purpose, I picked up the two unconscious bandits before finding one of the buildings still engulfed in flames. Without as much of a second though, I flung them over what remained of one of the walls that once made up a home.

 **Raven's POV**

I watched as a tall man that resembled a traditional ninja in his dark leather suit tossed two of my people into flames as if they were nothing more than sacks of potatoes. His careless gesture showed that their lives meant nothing to him, and I would not stand for that. The strong live and the weak die, but even the weak deserved an honorable death. The ninja was no fool though, he knew I was standing here, watching. I could tell by how he subtly turned his head, just enough to keep me in his peripherals.

"You could've ended their lives with honor, but instead you decided to cremate them alive while they were unconscious. Never before have I seen such a display of cowardice." I spat, not moving an inch from my position.

The mysterious man turned to face me completely, finally showing me that he had indeed seen me. There was a fire in his light green eyes, it almost made them appear to be an amber color. That fire was something I have not witnessed in a long time, most of those that I faced had a bit of a spark when they realized that our fight would be their last. That spark would become a bit of a small litwick before my blade would snuff it out for eternity. The blaze of glory in this man's eyes was one that would scorch you if you didn't have the ability to face it.

"Referring to my method of execution as the biggest display of cowardice you have ever seen tells me that you are blind, swordsman." He replied calmly despite the raging emotions in his eyes. "You set a thriving village ablaze and kill the defenseless inhabitants without thought, that is true cowardice."

"If the village was truly thriving, it wouldn't have been invaded or destroyed in the first place." I reply, unaffected by his insults.

You couldn't measure the short amount of time it took the leather clad man to reach me with his blade in an attempt to slit my throat. It was an unexpected tactic that would catch even the experienced off guard. However, many of my battles had me cross swords with the swiftest of opponents. I was more than prepared.

"Enough talk!" He roared as my odachi met his katana in a deadlock. Sparks flew, and the sound of two metal blades scraping against each other filled my ears. We were so close I could see my own reflection in his irises.

My eyes had the same fire.

A/N: BAM! I always love ending on a strong note. Hopefully you guys liked that as much as I did. I've always wanted to write a RWBY fanfic, but I'm not interested in just a normal one. I couldn't find a crossover idea until one day I bought DOA5 and as a Ryu main, I was reminded of Ninja Gaiden for the XBOX. (Ninja Gaiden Sigma for all you Playstation players!) The crossover just seemed so perfect, so I had to! Who doesn't want a badass ninja in the RWBYverse? (Blake doesn't really count in my book.)

So this chapter was pretty combat heavy which I feel is unsurprising considering Ryu's line of work. The next chapter will also be pretty combat heavy because hey, gotta show those skills. I actually haven't written this much combat in a while, so I hope it was easy to follow and made sense from a reading standpoint.

Now really quick, it's important for me to say that I'm unsure as to how often I will be updating this story. I have another story that takes priority on my list, but I really wanted to get a chapter out for this one. (I will try to update this when I can, promise!) If any of you guys came from another story I've written, hello! If you're just someone who stumbled on this, hello to you too!

Anyway, before I start rambling, please follow, fav, and review if you enjoyed this! Reviews are the best motivation to get me to continue this story faster. It lets me know people are interested enough to actually say something about the story. PMs are welcome as well! Any criticism is welcome, negative or positive, I'm just a fanfic writer that's looking to improve.

Until next chapter, peace!


	2. Nevermore

Wow, it has been over a year since I created this, kind of crazy how quickly time flies. This is where I admit that I've been holding on this chapter for just as long. When I finished the first chapter of this fic I immediately had started on the second one, but then I realized how hard it was to write Ryu for me. He's the silent type unless he knows you, and I am so inexperienced when it comes to writing a character like him while keeping his interactions interesting. I like to think I've improved since I wrote the first chapter of this story, but you won't see that improvement because I only took the type to re-read this before posting it a year later. The reason I am positing it after so long without an intention to make it better is because I just wanted this to be out there for the people that did like the first chapter. I started writing this story because Ryu is a badass and I think he would bring a lot to Remnant with his presence. Not only that, but A TON of fics with Ryu in them have him so unbelievably out of character that I wanted to make something decent where he wasn't. So consider these two chapters as a pilot of sorts.

I'm still surprised that no one else (that I know of) has thought to work on a Ninja Gaiden x RWBY crossover, but it is what it is I suppose. (This is another reason I started writing it as well.)

Anyway, I'm done rambling. Just keep in mind when you read this that I wrote it mid Volume 4, so Raven might be under-powered in comparison to what we've seen in Vol. 5. I'll have another AN at the bottom.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Nevermore**

 **Raven's POV**

I had moved my blade up so quickly to counter the ninja's first attack that I was unable to telescope it to full length. Now in our deadlock, I did just that to split our weapons apart but he didn't even flinch when he saw it extend. The emotion shown earlier in his eyes was gone once our dance began.

We launched ourselves away from each other, but this time it was my turn to close the gap between us. Normally I would've returned my odachi to its sheath and changed the Dust type to better fit the situation, but a move like that could mean death if I wasn't careful. I quickly shifted my grip so my blade was held upward instead of downward, and in less than a second we were trading strikes again as I took the opportunity to go on the offensive. My crimson weapon audibly sliced through the air in a diagonal swing that was blocked immediately causing me to spin to my right and get a kick to my back for the effort.

The strength of the blow ended my spin prematurely and caused me to to take a step forward to stop myself from falling. With my back now faced to him, I knew my opponent would reply with a downward slash of his own, so I blocked it by quickly shifting my grip once more and holding my blade diagonally across my back. Steel met steel, proving that my hunch had been correct.

Pushing my opponent's blade away from me, I completed the spin and sent an upward slice in an attempt to remove one of his arms. Just like my other swings, he had no problem stopping it before it could cause any damage. Unlike my other attempts however, he hooked his left arm and swung his fist in a claw shape making me have to jump away to avoid being struck. Had I merely tilted my head back to avoid that blow, I would've been in an even more vulnerable position.

I needed to wrap this fight up quickly, had we been in a different circumstance I would've been more than willing to battle until our stamina was depleted. In a swift motion I sliced downward and created a crescent-shaped flame projectile that headed in my opponent's direction. I then closely charged after it to catch him off guard when he moved to dodge it.

His movement never came, and instead the flame engulfed him momentarily before it fired back in a bright plume toward me. I tried to turn my heel on a dime and jump out of the way, but the speed of my projectile combined with his ability was too quick and it sent me reeling. Limited time was making me desperate, causing me to make mistakes.

"This is my fight!" I yelled toward my comrades that now stood directly behind me.

I knew they had been watching, and seeing their leader get potentially burned to a crisp made them uneasy to say the least. If I died here, it would send my whole tribe in turmoil. I knew a few of them had their weapons drawn and were ready to spring into action, but I wouldn't fall to such a tactic against an opponent this worthy of my attention. Deep down, a small part of me assured that they wouldn't stand a chance anyway.

Those I had ordered to stand down ignored my call and soon I saw a plethora of projectiles fly toward the masked ninja. Disgust was my first reaction, but shock was my second. I knew that he would avoid their attacks with ease, but the way he did it almost horrified me.

Instead of jumping or running out of the way, he simply stood there before weaving around and deflecting anything that could do him harm. My soldiers had carelessly assumed what they had sent toward him would be more than enough and simply stood there wide eyed as they saw their target still standing. The ninja was a statue, observing us, waiting for the next move.

"Raven, we have to go!" my second in command yelled to me over the roar of the flames that I had so easily forgotten.

My Aura was low after taking such a heavy hit from not only my own Dust projectile, but whatever Dust technique he had used to deflect it. However, I swore only death would be my escape from a fight that I was directly challenged to. I scoffed at my companion as I readied my blade to go a few more rounds with the leather clad man in front of me, but he was adamant enough to grab my arm.

"The Grimm are already here, if you want this god forsaken place to be your grave, then be my guest. The rest of us aren't going to waste our time watching!" he yelled before letting go and turning tail.

The ninja had enough time waiting and was relentlessly upon me once again. His strikes had quickened and he wasn't holding back anymore. He had heard the news my companion had relayed, and it seemed as if he wasn't one for wasting time either. It took every fiber of my being, every ounce of my training to be able to avoid and block the myriad of swings that were forcing me back. I knew I wouldn't last even a few more seconds at this rate, so I barked the one order I despised so much.

"Retreat!"

I had more to think about than my own honor at this moment. I had to consider the people I lead, and what would happen if I died here. I had only brought a small party of sixteen people excluding me, the rest of my tribe awaited me back at our current home. If I didn't come back alive, there would be chaos as people fought for power. Naturally my second in command would be in control, but just because we had a hierarchy of command didn't mean everyone would be content following it.

As soon as the order was issued, more projectiles flew toward my opponent causing him to have to separate from me as he leapt into the air. I took this as my opportunity and instantly began sprinting away. Every single step I took in the opposite direction of a fight that I knew I was destined for bit like venom.

Seeing me begin our withdrawal was more than enough for those around me and we all ran as far away from the village as we could. A stampede of several oncoming Grimm tried to stop us, but they were no match for our speed or skill. The monsters that got a little too close were cut down instantly as we made our way back toward our camp.

I stole a glance over my shoulder to look at the ninja once more. Our dance was far from over, and I swore to myself that it would begin anew the next time I saw him. A glint in his light green orbs seemed to say the same to me before he leapt into the air and severed the left wing of a nevermore clean off.

I knew that if he wanted to he could chase us all down and slaughter us one by one, but he seemed tethered to that village. His movements now were only meant for the Grimm that threatened to ravage whatever we had left behind.

We would meet again, shinobi.

* * *

 **Ryu's POV**

I watched the bandits run until the trees hid their existence like a deadly secret. Had this been a normal situation, those trees would have done an excellent job concealing me while I followed them. Unfortunately it wasn't a normal situation, and those monsters would live another day. A day the people they had mercilessly slaughtered deserved far more than they did.

There would be survivors this time, that's what I swore to myself before leaping upward and severing the left wing from the body of a large bird-like creature. Losing its aerodynamics, it promptly succumbed to the will of gravity before crashing into the crumbled remains of a building below. Its death knell did very little to distract me as I sliced through a werewolf-like monster from shoulder to hip. I didn't get any time to breath before being forced to lean back to avoid four bonelike claws from digging into my skull. An upward slice was the perfect answer to my new foe's attempt and its body split in two before evaporating into black mist.

More Grimm waited eagerly for an opening to attack me while others ignored me and ravaged what was left of civilization. Cutting one more monster down, I called on the Art of the Fire Wheels before heading toward the inn I promised myself I would protect. Three powerful fireballs orbited diagonally across my body as I dashed toward my destination.

* * *

 **Qrow's POV**

Tailing four kids without being seen would definitely be easier if it wasn't for the fact that I had to be able to keep my eyes on them the whole time. Despite how easy it was to kill Grimm, I could turn after quickly dispatching a few and suddenly the group would be nowhere to be seen. It didn't help that they also got themselves lost pretty often, luckily for me they still had a long way to go before they could catch me following them.

Right now I was fortunate enough to find a solid vantage point from an uncharacteristically tall tree. From up here I could see a few other trees that were at the same height and surrounded by much shorter ones, but most importantly I could see four figures below. The branch I sat on was large and wide enough for me to be able to sit comfortably on with my back pressed against its thick trunk. A small campfire lit up the four huntsmen in training below, three were sleeping while one stood watch. I had killed most of the Grimm on the journey so far, but they still made sure to be wary.

 _That's a good sign_ , I thought before taking a swig from my flask. The burning liquid traveled quickly through my mouth before lighting a warm fire in my stomach. It was a feeling that never grew old, one that was as comforting as seeing an old friend. Suddenly, I felt the weight of the cane handle that hung at my hip when the idea of an old friend came to mind. That meeting would be comforting indeed.

I turned my gaze away from the youngins below to stare at the shattered moon above. Taking one last sip, I returned the flask to my pocket before interlocking my fingers behind my head. I adjusted my position on the branch slightly to get a bit more comfortable to settle into the night. Even if I managed to get some sleep, I was a light sleeper, you had to be to do the jobs I did regularly. There wasn't always an Inn to rest in when you were spying on others. Not to mention the amount of issues that could arise if you did detour into one.

My moment of peace was immediately disturbed by the pungent smell of smoke. At first I assumed it might have been from the campfire the team of huntsmen below had set up, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. My crimson eyes opened to scan the perimeter and it wasn't long before I saw the sign of rising flames that wasn't too far off. In fact, they were coming from the village that my niece and her friends had left earlier today.

I quickly dove off of the tree before taking on the form of a crow. Leaving the four students of Beacon was definitely not ideal, but they would be the last thing Grimm would be attracted to tonight. The fear and death would lure them like moths to a flame as it has lured me. The chance of survivors was zero in my mind, but the monsters of darkness weren't known for their ability to start fires. A sibling of mine unfortunately was.

It wasn't long before I arrived to witness the desolation of the village below. I was late, there was no sign of my sister or former tribe anywhere. You couldn't look at any ruined structure without seeing at least five or six Grimm. Despite it all though, there was still one building standing tall near the middle of the area. It was the two story inn that Ruby had stayed in just last night.

I would've wondered how that building managed to stay untouched if it wasn't for the black blur of a warrior that managed to do the impossible. They dashed from one monster to the next with speed that rivaled my talented niece. Afterimages of them were left in their wake as the fighter cut down one monster after the other.

Without wasting any more time, I dove downward and shifted back into my normal body. Not a second passed before my blade was out and extended into the body of a dark creature. Three boarbatusk charged me but the force of a wide swing from my sword was enough to knock them all aside. I followed up with one more swing that dragged across all three of their bellies. I didn't get a chance to see their bodies evaporate before parrying a swing from an ursa. One effective slice was all that was needed to bring the large monster down.

Out of the corner of my eye I would occasionally see the huntsmen that was covered from head to toe in black. It wouldn't be for long though, and soon he'd be somewhere else slaying any enemy that he came across. Slowly but surely we whittled down the horde of monsters into a small force before they reached zero. Our respite wouldn't be for long, and soon the creatures would be back once more. We had to start moving survivors if there were any.

It seemed the huntsman I found had the same idea and he immediately headed for the door to the inn. After placing my weapon on my back I moved to clasp my hand onto the fellow warrior's shoulder. The blade that was suddenly hovering dangerously close to my throat let me know that I had made a bad move. Flaming irises bore into mine almost daring me to make the first move. I slowly raised my hands to show my innocence in hopes that it would diffuse the situation.

That movement was far better received than my first one and the weapon slowly lowered. I could tell that he probably still wasn't sure about whether I was friend or foe, but not having our blades at each other's throats proved to be a better working environment.

"Is there anyone inside?" I asked to break the tension.

"At least one," the masked huntsman replied.

That was good enough for me, and I rushed to enter the last building that stood. The warm inviting nature that the tavern level of the Inn once had was lost now. Overturned tables and shattered glass from the once intact windows gave off a much less hospitable vibe.

"If anyone is still here we need to leave now!" I shouted up the stairs.

No answer.

The leather clad huntsman that entered the building after me didn't wait for me to repeat myself before moving toward the trap door that most places that offered beds for the night had installed. Rarely did underground areas actually save lives, but this may be one of the few cases they did. The wooden plank that barred entrance creaked and groaned as it was lifted, and soon we were greeted by six pairs of eyes.

"Are they gone?" a woman's shaken voice asked.

"For now," I replied before lowering my arm into the room below to quickly help others up, "they'll be back. This huntsman here will escort you all to the village fifteen miles east of here."

I looked toward the ninja next to me for any sort of response since I volunteered him without permission, but I didn't get one except for a nod. I hadn't expected a different response, at the end of the day he was still a huntsman. He fought tooth and nail to make sure this building didn't go down, so i knew he was still fighting the good fight. In the times of chaos that we have tipped into, people like him would be hard to find. Any ally would be valuable toward fixing things back to the way they were again, if not better. _When did I become such an optimist?_ I spent way too many of my years near Oz.

The last person I pulled up onto ground level was a woman with blonde hair, her blue eyes were cautious yet showed no fear and a map was clutched tightly in her hands. She seemed to have the most courage out of the small group of people that had managed to survive below. None of the remaining villagers had a weapon of any kind, they were as civilian as they came.

"I hope you guys can get some sort of start in Sumire," I said before heading out the front door to make sure the Grimm weren't back yet.

"We'll be fine," the blonde woman assured, "we all participate in some sort of trade."

That was good new at least, however I doubted how 'fine' they would be. Sure they may be okay physically, but I couldn't even begin to imagine the mental toll would be on these folks. They knew that living in a village was fight or die, but not all of them had a choice. Just because you know that creatures of darkness and bandits were a threat didn't mean that you'd be ready to face them, let alone watch them destroy everything around you.

The huntsmen I assigned to escort the villagers followed me to probably also check on the perimeter. He was smart, and after seeing how he fought tonight let me know that he would have no trouble guiding these civilians to Sumire.

"You know where Sumire is right?" I double-checked.

The ninja shook his head.

Well that was definitely odd, there was no way he had gotten to his caliber without traveling the world. You don't get to his level of skill by just sitting in one place your whole life. Maybe he had just made the novice mistake of depending on his Scroll for everything.

"Luckily for you," I said before pulling up my flask to my lips and taking a swig, "I have a few minutes to help put you guys on the right path."

There was no response, but it wasn't as if I expected one. Instead I motioned for him and the others to follow as I headed into the direction of that village. It would be a long walk, but there was nothing to stay in this village for. Six people alone couldn't repair this mess, and there was no telling if travelers would come through to help. Sumire was a much larger village and would provide better protection for these survivors. They would all just need to find a place to fit in.

I trudged along the path a few minutes with the huntsmen and villagers in tow, hushed whispers were traded between those who remained save for the ninja. A walk to Sumire would take maybe three hours, more if they needed to break for rest. Not everyone had the stamina to keep a good pace for long. The unknown huntsmen that accompanied the small group was one of those that would easily make that trip. The fact he was unknown was slightly unsettling to me though, especially considering his skill.

Time went by with every step I took, and it wasn't long before I realized that we had spent about half an hour marching, couple that with the half hour I had probably spent fighting Grimm in the village, and that would be an hour away from team RNJR. Innocent lives were important to me, but I wasn't needed here. The warrior clad in black could handle this escort mission on his own, but I had to make sure his skills were being put to good use. Defending villages was good and all, but I could use someone like him. With all forms of communication down save for handwritten notes, I was flying blind. Ozpin had people like me to keep his enemies close, but now I was solo, not answering to everyone. I could keep Ruby safe, but while I'd be doing that I'd be missing out on crucial information. This guy dressed like a ninja, and it looked like it suited him damn well. If he was the real deal then he would be an invaluable asset.

I brought the group of survivors to a halt for some rest, there were trees and brush bordering the path, and I could feel the harsh eyes that peered through them. The break wouldn't last long or else I'd be putting people in danger so I had to make my move quickly.

"Hey huntsmen," I called the man over. It took him a second to register my attempt at beckoning him over, but he complied while making sure not to take his eye off of the waiting villagers.

"You fight like a demon," I began.

No response.

"What kingdom do you hail from?" It definitely wasn't Beacon, I would know who he was if that were the case.

All I got was another blank stare.

"Oh come on, I won't tell."

Still nothing.

Maybe I wasn't asking the right questions so I tried a different approach, "Who taught you how to fight like that?"

"My father," he replied for the first time tonight. It was an emotionless response, quick, clean, and got the job done. Just like him.

However, that information was no good to me. I didn't know who his father was considering the fact that I didn't know who the ninja was. He had answered that question though, so maybe that meant he didn't have any institutional training or else he would've answered my first question. That was unheard of though, it'd be very rare that someone could just learn to kill that efficiently without professional training. Hell, even Raven and I had to join an academy so we would become strong enough to lead the group of killers that we were born into.

"Is that all?" the huntsman asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"No," I replied curtly, "I have a request for you."

* * *

 **(A/N):** Wow, I'm scum, I even left this on a cliffhanger. If it seems like I cut this chapter off abruptly, it's because I did. There was supposed to be a bit more to it, but as I mentioned at the top, Ryu is hard to write.

Just as some shameless self-promotion, another reason I haven't touched this story is because I'm currently working on a League of Legends x RWBY crossover called Chromatic Wings. (This one I do plan to complete and I'm currently working on it at the time of releasing this chapter. Just doing revisions of the current chapters to clean things up before I continue where I left off.) If you're not into LoL, I get it. But I do try to make the story accessible to both people that haven't played LoL or seen RWBY. If you're super into romance and RWBY stuff (and Qrow happens to be your favorite character) I highly recommend checking it out.

Other than that, thanks for reading this. I do think there is a chance of me returning and finishing my vision for this story, (I do actually have a storyboard written for it) but it won't be until the very far future if I do. Let me know what you thought of it in a review. (Although, I do think this writing isn't a good indicator of what I'm capable of anymore.)


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